STATE COLLEGE — The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers’ Association recently
announced the crowning of the 2026 Pennsylvania Honey Queen Court during its
annual Fall Conference held Nov. 15 in State College.
This year’s royalty — Alexis Otstott, 2026 Pennsylvania Honey Queen, and Jordan Hackenberg, 2026 Pennsylvania Honey Princess — will serve as statewide ambassadors for the beekeeping and honey industries throughout the coming year.
As Honey Queen and Honey Princess, Alexis and Jordan will represent Pennsylvania’s beekeeping community at fairs, festivals, agricultural events, school programs, media interviews, and civic engagements. Their mission is to promote the importance of honeybees, support honey producers, and educate the public on the essential role pollinators play in food production and ecosystem health. Chosen for their poise, passion, and dedication to agriculture, both young women bring impressive backgrounds to their roles as industry advocates.
Otstott hails from rural Perry County, where her upbringing in the countryside sparked a lifelong love for farming and livestock. A former 4-H and FFA member, she gained hands-on agricultural experience through livestock showing and numerous FFA Learning Development Contests. Her involvement in agricultural education inspired her to pursue higher education at The Pennsylvania State University, where she is majoring in agricultural sciences with minors in international agriculture, animal science, and poultry science.
Ostott’s academic journey has broadened her appreciation for the many facets of agriculture, from livestock to crops to global food systems. After graduating in 2027, she hopes to build a career in the poultry industry—especially turkey production—while also working toward her dream of owning a self-sustaining farm. Her passion for honeybees grew after taking Penn State’s “Honeybees and Humans” course, which inspired her goal of one day managing her own hive and advocating for Pennsylvania’s beekeeping community. As Honey Queen, she looks forward to sharing her agricultural knowledge and helping the public better understand the importance of pollinators.
Jordan Hackenberg grew up in Milton County surrounded by honeybees and deeply rooted in her family’s third-generation commercial beekeeping business, founded in 1962. Their operation spans national pollination services, beeswax rendering, honey production and bottling, bee products, and educational outreach.
Working alongside her family, Hackenberg gained firsthand experience in the business and developed a passion for teaching others about honeybee biology and their vital role in food production.
Hackenberg has traveled to American Beekeeping Federation meetings, where she engaged with beekeeping leaders and Honey Queens from across the country — experiences that fueled her longtime dream of joining the Honey Queen Program. Now crowned the 2026 Pennsylvania Honey Princess, she is eager to serve as an industry ambassador and share the story of Pennsylvania’s beekeeping heritage. In her free time, she enjoys piano, tennis, and dance, all of which have shaped her patience, discipline, and creativity.
A year of advocacy and outreach
As the newly crowned Honey Queen and Honey Princess, Ostott and Hackenberg will lead
Pennsylvania’s public outreach efforts throughout 2026. Their work will focus on building awareness of honeybee health, supporting honey producers, and encouraging the next generation of agricultural leaders.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Honey Queen Program or to request an appearance from the Honey Queen or Honey Princess at your festival, fair, pollinator
event, etc., contact the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers’ Association PA Honey Queen Coordinator Cathy Vorisek at cathyvorisek@gmail.com.\
